Adjustable weed cutting attachment



Nov. 2, 1943. w GRAHAM 2,333,371

ADJUSTABLE WEED CUTTING ATTACHMENT Filed May 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Stun/mas NOV. 2, 1943. w T GRAHAM 2,333,371

ADJUSTABLE WEED CUTTING ATTACHMENT 7 Filed May 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwue/wfm WILL/AM 7' GPA HAN Patented Nov. 2, 1943 ADJUSTABLE WEED CUTTING ATTACHMENT William T. Graham, Amarillo, Tex. Application May 2, 1941, Serial No. 391,606

3 Claims.

in properly adjusted horizontal. position relative to the plow or cultivating element.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and efilcient means for connecting the weed cutting blades to a resilient supporting shank.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a resilient supporting shank, tool, cutting blade and connecting means;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the associated parts for connecting the weed cutting blade to the shank;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the form of weed cutting blade shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a further modified form of the invention;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure '7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the form shown in Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the shank and blade connecting elements;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of shank and blade connecting means, the shank being shown in section;

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 showing a modified form of cutting blade;

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 11 showing a further modified design of cutting blade.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that A designates a resilient shank which may be of any suitable or desired type such as the bowed type or the coiled type.. The shank A carries a suitable tool B, such as a cultivator or plow blade at its lower end and a weed blade supporting element I0 is bolted or otherwise secured to the rear face and lower end of thc shank A as shown. This supporting element I 0 is provided with a vertically extending and rearwardly projecting web portion H which extends at right anglesto and centrally of the rear abutment wall l2 of the supporting element Hi. A plurality of rows of vertically aligned apertures it are formed in the web portion ll, as will be noted in Figure 1. The supporting element In is preferably provided at its lower end with a shoulder it against which the lower end of the shank A is adapted to abut. The web portion H in conjunction with the rear abutment wall l2 will define a T-shaped structure, the web it as stated above, extending rearwardly of the abutment wall l2.

In the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a pair of diverging weed cutting blades l5 are em- 'ployed having beveled cutting edges It at their forward edges, and these blades l5 are provided with hanger elements I! at their forward ends, which hanger elements I! comprise vertically extending portions I8 and right-angularly extending horizontal portions IS. The horizontal portion l9 are riveted or otherwise secured to the forward inner ends of the blades I5 and the vertical portions l8 are adjustably secured to the web portion II by means of suitable bolts 20 which extend through the vertical portions 18 and into selected apertures l3 of the web portion ll, thereby permitting the blades l5 to be adjusted as to depth without changing the position of the shank A or the tool element B. It should be understood that the blades l5 may be adjusted in a number of selected positions vertically of the web portion II. The hanger elements l'l fit upon opposite sides of the web portion II, as shown, and the forward edges 2| thereof are adapted to abut against the rear abutment wall l2 of the supporting element ll, thereby bracing the blades l5 and their hanger elements I! and resisting any tendency to force the hanger elements and blades out of proper horizontal position and also to relieve strain from the securing bolts 20. It will, therefore be seen that a very simple and efl'icient structure has been provided for producing an adjustable and wellbraced connection between the cutting blades and the supporting element.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is shown a slightly modified type of the invention wherein a supporting element In is illustrated of a structure similar to the element, but in the form shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cutting blade I 5' is formed integral with the hanger elements ll, which hanger elements H are provided with a forward edge 2 I for abutment against the abutment wall l2 of the supporting element It. In this form, a single row of apertures is is provided in the shank II for receiving the bolts 20* carried by the hanger elements il and which bolts 20- are adjustably and selectively extended through the apertures I! and the apertures 22 formed in the hanger element II".

In the form shown in Figures '7, 8 and 9, a supporting element II is carried by the lower end of the resilient shank A, and this supporting element II is provided with a vertically extending weed cutting blade supporting portion 20 which is preferably H-shaped in cross-section having a rear fiat abutment wall 21 which extends vertically. The H-shaped formation of the blade supporting portion 20 defines vertically extending side channels 20, as shown. An angle hanger member 20 is adlustably secured to the rear abutment face 21 by' means of bolts ll which selectively engage the adjusting apertures 8| ofthe hanger or supporting element II. A weed cutting blade I! is secured to the under face of the horizontal portion 33 of the angle hanger member 20 and this blade 32 is provided with a pair of rearwardly extending radiating cutter arms which are adapted to extend in a horizontal plane as shown. In the form shown in Figures '1, 8 and 9. the nuts 14 which secure the bolts 30 in position are shielded ithin the channels 20.

The supporting element 25 is provided with a forwardly projecting shank-engaging shoulder 25' which hooks under the lower end of the shank which are riveted or otherwise secured to the horizontally extending portion 35 of the hanger member 38. In the form shown in Figure 12, I employ the supporting element 2! previously described and a hanger element II which is provided with a rearwardly extending horizontal portion I1, to which are pivotally' secured the rearwardly extending diverging horizontal weed cutting blades 88, which blades may be adjusted to bring the same toward or away from each other by means of a set screw I! working in the are slots 0.

In Figure 13 there is shown a further modified type of the invention wherein. the supporting element is utilized, which carries a hanger element ll. This hanger element It is provided with a horizontally extending portion II and a weed cutting blade is supported thereon, which blade 42 is provided with rearwardly extending and di-- verging portions similar to that shown and described in Figure 8.

By carefully considering the drawings, and from the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a simple and efficient means for adjustably securing diverging weed cutting blades at or near the rear lower end of a spring or other tool supporting shank, such as may be used upon agricultural implements. I have shown various forms or types of means for adiustably securing these weed cutting blades at or near the rear lower ends of the supporting shanks or shank in a manner whereby the blades may be adjusted vertically according to the cutting depth of the tool carried by the shank. The weed sweep or cutting blades by. being attached at or near the tilling or operating. end of a resilient steel plow or cultivator shank in a manner whereby these weed cutting sweeps or blades may be vertically adjusted as to the depth of the cutting device, a very eiiicient means is provided for cutting the weeds and preventing the vegetation from clogsgingupthe shanksaswellasprovidinganadditional support for the cutting tool while the device is in operation.

It should be understood that the present device is adaptable for rigid as well as for spring shanks and the spring shanks may be of the type illustrated or of the coil spring type without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An adjustable weed cutting attachment comprising a supporting portion adapted to be secured to a tool carrying shank, said supporting portion having a vertically extending hanger engaging portion, a flat horizontally extending weed cutting blade extending rearwardly of the shank,

said hanger engaging portion having a rearwardly extending vertical web-portion, said web-portion having vertical aligned apertures, said blade having a hanger portion, means carried by the hanger portion for selectively said aligned apertures to hold said blade in a vertically adiusted position relative to a cutting tool adapted to be carried by said shank, and said hanger en-m gaging portion having axvertical abutment wall 4 for engaging the forward edge of said hanger portion for bracing the hanger portion.

2. In combination with a shank, a tool-supporting portion carried by said shank, a substantially flat horizontal weed cutting blade, a hanger portion carried by the blade, securing means for holding the hanger portionupon said tool-supporting portion, an abutment wall carried by the tool-supporting portion and engaging'one edge of the hanger portion for resisting upward twisting strain upon said securing means and for securely holding said weed cutting blade in a flat horizontal position.

3. In combination with a shank having a lower end, a forwardly extending digging tool carried by said shank, weed cutting blades extending rearwardly of said shank, a weed cutting bladesupporting portion connected to said weed cutting blades, attaching means for securing said digging tool and said supporting portion to said shank, said supporting portion having an integral angularly projecting lug fitting under the lower end of said shank and constituting a bracing shoulder for resisting upward movement of said supporting portion upon said shank and relieving strain from said attaching means as pressure is exerted upon said weed cutting blades and said supporting portion in the direction of said lug.

, WILLIAM T. GRAHAM. 

